How To Frost A Window With Frosting Film (& Determination)

This post is actually about three bathroom updates, the first of which concerns this baby – the window. Aka the anti-privacy device located conveniently above the place that we do our most private business.

It’s kinda ridiculous that we haven’t done anything to it sooner, considering the window is nearly a straight shot view to the neighbor’s house. It’s not like we live right on top of each other – heck, we’re not even sure they can see much from this distance (we can’t see anything in their tiny far-away windows) but it’s still just a little odd to see this whenever we step out of the shower or whenever I’m standing up doing my man business.

So to get some privacy coverage while maintaining maximum light in the room, we decided to frost it using our tried-and-true frosting film technique (we’ve had luck with this stuff from Home Depot). In this instance this was a $0 project for us because we already had all of the supplies on hand (we had some leftover frosting film, but normally it’s about $19 for a giant tube that can do a bunch of windows and even large glass doors). Oh and it bears mentioning that this window has mullionsupdate: just learned they’re actually muntins (those white criss-cross things) that are encased between the glass, so they don’t stick out. So although it looks like we would have to cut 12 rectangles of frosting film, we just needed two since these are sneaky interior ones.

You can see the whole process on video below (or here on YouTube), but it’s actually of a different window in another bathroom. So just continue below the video for the photographic tutorial for this space.

Feel free to click over to this post and this post for more detailed how-to-use-frosting-film instructions. Oh and I realize it’s a bit hard to tell in these pictures (since the window kinda gets blown out anyways), so here’s our best attempt at showing the difference via photos:

You probably won’t notice it in photos going forward, but just know that every time you look at pictures like the one below – it means we’re no longer putting on a show for the neighbors. Hooray for leftover frosting film and a zero dolla project.

Oh and you’ve probably noticed some additions to the top of the toilet tank. You can thank Sherry for that.

She brought in one of the potted succulents she made here and we DIYed that 7 art a while back (here).

She also threw down a little dish to catch the earrings she often forgets are still on until just seconds before hopping into the shower (she used to rest them on the toilet or the windowsill but worried they’d get lost). Now they have a spot to hold them hostage. You know her and drop-spots. They make her all smiley.

You’ve probably figured out by now what the “frosting” and “tanking” parts of this post title refer to. Any guesses about the sucking? Keep it clean, folks.

Let’s look behind curtain #1 for the answer.

It’s our new suction-cup-tacular shower storage. We opted to ditch our over-the-showerhead caddy because it was practically visible from the bedroom door. Yup, it was quite the eyesore. So we wanted to do something more subtle on this other side that would mostly be hidden by the curtain from nearly all angles of the room (we keep the curtain about one third of the way closed when we’re not actually showering… or two-thirds of the way open if you’re an optimist). So this stuff can all hide behind that panel of fabric, out of view (unless you’re standing in the shower looking at it straight on, like the picture above and below.

We’ve had mixed luck with suction cup storage before, but these guys from Bed Bath & Beyond had some sort of extra-strength locking system that gave us the confidence to give it a go. They have a hard outer-cup around the suction cup inside and you have to sort of swivel them to install them to supposedly lock them in place. So far, so good. Even with two steamy showers under our belts (they also stood the overnight test, which means we didn’t awake to the sound of crashing down in the bathroom).

We got two hooks…

…and two baskets (which also had the locking suction cups) for a grand total of $22 after handing over four coupons. Gotta love that BB&B lets you use one for each item that you’re buying and they never expire.

I know it’s weird to be excited about hidden shampoo and razor storage, but for a tiny room that we’re in at least five times a day, it really does make a pretty decent difference. The room feels less cluttered and college-shower-y.

Oh and a reader mentioned they had hanging baskets that were hung over their faucet that fell off the wall and turned on the water and covered the drain so their house flooded (so sad!) – so for safety reasons it’s best not to hang these over the faucet. We like the other side of the shower for them since they’re behind the curtain and you don’t get sprayed in the face when you’re grabbing stuff out of them.

So there ya have it: a frosted window, a spruced up toilet tank and some hidden storage sucking it up on the shower wall. All for twenty two beans.

Here’s our updated to-do list:

paint the walls so they have some contrast

replace the boob light

paint the cream trim white

hang some bathroom-friendly art

craigslist the toilet and replace it with a classic white one

do something to add privacy to the window

nix the ugly and cluttered showerhead caddy

remove the door so we can shave the bottom to allow for a rug/bathmat (and add a door stopper so it doesn’t squash the art)

replace the border tile around the room (maybe in phase 2?)

move the blue pendant light to hang centered in front of the window

replace the floor tile down the road (just to break things up since there’s so much of it)

Anyone else have a favorite privacy method for the window in their bathroom? Or a go-to item for the top of the toilet tank? Or a perfect solution for storing all of their shower necessities?

I also keep the shower stuff hidden by the curtain – shampoo bottles can be such an eyesore!
And you always amaze me when you apply the frosting film so easily. I’ve tried it several times and it’s always been a disaster. I thinkI might give frosting spray a go instead!

My husband and I tried the frosting film too and had so much trouble with it. We actually returned what we bought and tried the rustoleum frosted glass spray paint instead. It looks great! A little more prep work to tape things off and protect the nearby walls, but we were so happy that it worked!

That was just a vase from Target about five years ago! They make them for those giant sticks to be held (I also think Ikea sells them) but I actually brought a roll of TP in my purse to make sure I got a vase big enough. Haha. I’m that girl.

I have a similar toilet paper holder. The same shape and size but made of brushed silver wire. It’s really nice – I love it! Got it at Walmart. I don’t recall the price, however, first of all it’s Walmart; secondly, if I bought it, it had to be reasonable since I’m on a tight budget. I’ve had it for a year or so and it’s just like new. I love the brushed silver. It doesn’t seem to pit like other silver wire products I’ve bought.

Wow. I can’t believe how different this bathroom looks after what are only cosmetic changes. Everything looks great! I think the film really brightens the room up, if that makes any sense. We will be tackling out EVEN SMALLER half bath (if you can imagine that)soon, and am inspired by your “simple” transformation. Thanks!

We inherited little mini blinds over the window in our shower and they’ve been there for over a year now. But then again, the early 90s border stenciling is still rocking out in our bathroom, too. One day. One day. :)

That suction must be pretty strong to hold up those large bottles! What a neat solution.

I have a window in my shower, and when I moved in I struggled with what to do with it for privacy and light. I ended up going with cheap vinyl blinds that I can leave partially open for light, but not enough that people can see in (My neighbors house is only about 15 feet away from mine). I considered something like the frosting film, but most of the summer I have the window open. Do you guys ever have the windows open? Or any other ideas for this scenario?

Hmm, we don’t open that window much at all. I think we opened it while we painted for ventilation, but that’s about it. Haha. I think your vinyl blinds sound like a great solution for your scenario though!

I have the same problem, my window is in my shower and faces my neighbours house (I can wave at them through their living room window from my shower!). My solution has been to hang another shower curtain liner over that window (I trimed it so its just slightly longer than the window), and then just push it to the side when I am not using the shower. I used a curtain rod like this http://www.homedepot.ca/product/single-curtain-rod/912328 and hung it extended it about 6″ past one side of the window so when I push it to the side it doesnt block the light from window at all. I’m hoping that visual makes sense!! The shower liner seemed to be my only option, as otherwise the water sprays all over the window and the wooden window frame.

We have a window like that which is open a lot in nice weather. I hung a simple rod and used a very light and airy, small white curtain. It allows all the light in, but just enough cover to “frost” the view if you know what I mean. I just love the blowing in the breeze effect, too. In winter, I just take it down.

Looks good. Soo…I’m not sure why I totally missed the old posts on using the frosting/film; but, is it removable? I ask b/c I’d possibly like to use on a window in our house but we have it for sale so I’m not sure.

And the suction baskets don’t fall off the wall?! Have our amazing science discoveries and advancements finally created a suction basket that actually stays up?! What’s the brand? I need some of these bad boys.

They seemed to be the only brand sold at Bed Bath & Beyond and they have some sort of “suction-lock technology” or something. They have a hard outer-cup around the suction cup inside and you have to sort of swivel them to install them to supposedly lock them in place. So far, so good. Even with two steamy showers.

I have the same ones and they only fall down every 3-6 months. They’re not up there forever, but they do seem to work a lot longer than non locking suction cups. Just be sure not to put anything breakable in there.

Yep, I agree with Alison. They work, but about every 3 months be prepared to be awoken in the middle of the night to a huge BANG that scares the daylights out of you. We finally stopped using them because they would fall down at random.

That’s my experience as well. And they always seem to fall down in the middle of the night, so they wake you up and scare you the death. After a few times, we couldn’t take it anymore and took them down. Now we use one of those over the shower head things, but instead of hanging it over the shower head, I put a hook in the wall at the far end of the shower to hang it.

I love that frosting stuff! I had to use it on a window that was strategically located *in my shower* in the last place I rented. What baffles me is that no previous tenant had every frosted the window. It looked directly into the neighbors’ house.

Will do! So far we have each taken a steamy shower and they’re still hanging tight. I hope they don’t crash down over time. They stood the overnight test, so that was nice (nothing like waking up in a panic to the sound of something crashing down!).

OK… maybe you have me convinced… we have a window in our bathroom which overlooks… OUR PORCH!!! What a surprise for the door to door preachers, huh?! I’ve delayed making a curtain for it because the one benefit of that window is that it brings some extra light into a pretty dark bedroom. Maybe some window frosting film is the right choice! Thanks!

Firstly, the Titanic caption made me laugh out loud (good thing I work from home), and secondly, the hint about using tape to separate the two sides of the film is genius! I love projects that cost little time or money, but make a huge/everyday impact!

Also, I tried the tip about putting a penny in my tulips (from the mantel post) and I’m happy to say they are still upright and beautiful and not floppy at all – I think it really works!

Frosting is ALWAYS a good call – In the home I grew up in as a teenager, I assumed my neighbors were too far away…..annnd learned years later that I was VERY WRONG. Makes for great awkwardly-running-into-old-faces-at-the-supermarket conversation though! HAH.

Was re-watching cougar town the other night and saw a yellow light fixture in her house that looked nearly identical to your new blue baby in the bathroom – are they the same kind?

Glad you guys did this! I was debating frosting our window in our upstairs bathroom since I don’t want to block the light with privacy curtains. Now I think I am going to take the plunge :) (haha- get it… bathroom joke. priceless)

I like the window film but the shower caddies are my favorite. These actually look nice. I have been looking around for some. We share a bathroom with our daughter and while he isn’t bathing in our tub yet she will some day. I would love for razors, soap, and shampoo to be out of her reach. Nothing like using some B,B&B coupons to help get the job accomplished!

looks great – heads-up about the suction cups, though. we have those in our shower holding up only bath puffs/loofahs, and they come unstuck ALL THE TIME. the noise when those dang things hit the bottom of the tub is heart attack inducing. you may want to regularly re-suction them so all your heavy stuff doesn’t clatter to the floor when you least expect it :)

Thanks for the tip Stacey! We’ll have to keep an eye on them if you’re starting to slip. Do you have the special kinds with the locking device around the suctions? It’s like a double layer of plastic/suction. Here’s hoping it makes the difference!

we have the same ones you have – they suction on and then the hook folds down to lock it in place. because the stuff we hang on them is so light, we never see them slip….but we certainly hear the crashing once they have fallen. i think it could mostly be avoided by re-suctioning them frequently. preventative measures!

We have the same hooks with the same results…the crash is heart-stopping. Sometimes we can go for months without a fall and sometimes it happens every other day. I find cleaning the tile and the cup and letting them dry thoroughly (even buffing them) prolongs hanging time.

Same problem here. We have the exact same suction baskets in our son’s bathroom and they come loose every few months. In fact, one of them fell off while I was bathing my son this evening. (Thankfully, no one was hurt. It was hung real low so that he can put his bath toys in it.) I’m so frustrated with them, I told my husband to just screw ’em into the tile! GRRR!

What really gets me is that they are more expensive than the normal suction baskets, with the promise of working better, but they don’t.

I love the frosted windows! We’ve been considering doing this to our bathroom window since we moved in, but since our windows are the old, 6 pane style, it would be a huge project. Maybe we’ll just get new windows instead?

I bet you can knock that window out with film a lot easier than getting a new window! All the rectangles are the same size, so cut 6 or 12 sheets a smidge bigger than the side of the pane, apply them, credit card them, trim them and you’re done! Maybe it would take 2 hours tops?

I usually just frost or curtain the bottom half of the window. People can’t see in, and you get natural light for putting on makeup. Blocking out all of the view just seems kind of sad. You might as well be in a basement.

Thankfully lots of light passes through the frosting film (it’s translucent, not transparent like a light blocking curtain would be) and we have a giant window over our sink (which is where I do my makeup and John shaves). That window isn’t frosted, so we get lots of light through that!

Haha, we can relate! Our last house had only one full bath (which we couldn’t use while we renovated it for over 5 months a while back- so we actually showered at the gym or outside with the hose- so bad!).

I’m so glad I saw this post today! We need to use that frost film on our front door. Right now we lose a lot of light because the glass (which takes up 50% of the door) is covered by fabric. This is a great solution! Thanks for the inspiration :)

Looks so great! I used that frosting all over my house (I’m not a big curtains person) and it’s held up gorgeously.

Also, are you worried about the new items sliding off the slick toilet top? I have the same sort of stuff on mine and I just put a little square of a no-slip rug pad underneath. If it’s something I need to stay permanently, I use industrial-strength velcro. No breaks or slips yet!

No way?! Never knew that! I learned the term from a Candice Olson show. Anyone remember the one where she was laughing at the wall the guy pronounced mullions? He said mool-YONES! And she was all “um, it’s mool-yuhns.”

Looks great! I also get the heebie-jeebies in a bathroom with a wide open window! In my old house the bathroom window was right BESIDE the toilet and came all the way down to seat level- so you can imagine the view if there was no privacy measures. Yikes.

I like your shower caddy too! My bathroom has a glass shelf installed opposite the shower head in the tub zone. It is so handy!!

Everything looks fantastic! I’m forwarding this link to my husband right away so we can tackle our own frosting project this weekend. Dude, we gotta get on that already!

Side note, I had a decorative candle on my tank that slipped off during the night and shattered glass all around our toilet. Maybe you should put something sticky on the bottom of your decorative items to secure them temporarily? Unless the top of your tank is flat (ours is slightly convex).

Oh no! We have had luck using non-stick tug pads cut up under things to keep them in place! You can also use sticky-tack (the poster putty that folks us to hold up NKOTB posters in middle school). Hope it helps!

So I was at Home Depot just the other day, looking for such a product. The Handy Helper Guy sent me home with some contact paper – with sort of a ‘crosshatch’ pattern. My concern is – will the contact paper come off the window easily? Do you happen to have experience with this? Its for my 2 year old’s window – I’d like it to come off one day….

Hmm, so weird he didn’t give you frosting film. Maybe he didn’t know where it was. It’s over by the kitchen stuff in ours (sort of near the design center with the cabinets and blinds). I would imagine it would hold up better than contact paper in a moist room.
xo,
s

Ok, so I promise not to comment all of the time because I see you get close to a million a day, but you guys are amazing blogspirations! (Wish we had the bold print option here) Your house improvements motivated me to get some exercise and do some work to our house last week, and now this bathroom thing? On my to-do-list for the weekend. I found your site a little over a week ago and, not gonna lie, have been checking in every day since. You guys are great, keep it up!!

Love the frosted window film! I did a similar thing in our bathroom but it’s just peel and stick stuff- no spray needed. It’s got a textured design in it but it’s held up well and definitely looks better than mini blinds did!

I have a Simple Human Triple Wall Mount Pump in my bathroom and I looooove it (http://www.simplehuman.com/products/bathroom-organization/shampoo-soap-dispenser.html). It also comes in single and double options. Holds a razor on the side. Dispenses the perfect amount of shampoo/conditioner/body wash. Did I mention I love it? I only wish it came in larger sizes so I could put face wash and the like in it to totally eliminate bottles in the shower.

We had something like this in my childhood home. We loved it! Especially if everyone using the same shampoo and body wash. It had 4 or 5 spots for liquids (so they are out there — may be just not as pretty as the one Liz is showing)

Maybe I’m overly paranoid – but can your shadow be seen through the frosted window? I, like many of your commentors, have a window IN the shower, which currently has mini shutters over it as well as a shower curtain (I’m worried about those mini wooden shutters getting wet).
Also, if you have any suggestions for that (a window in the shower), I would greatly appreciate it!

Oh no, the frosting film is opaque enough for people to just be gray blobs through it. So you can’t even make out clear silhouettes, let alone actual folks showering. It’s designed for privacy but still lets light in. Hope that makes sense. I would definitely try using it in your case- you can have someone hold it up in front of the window while you go outside to test it, but I’m sure it’ll just look like a white frosted window with maybe a few shadows moving behind it- but nothing too clear at all!

We’re getting ready for a major bathroom reno, as in tear everything back to the studs and move the toilet from the linen closet back to the original spot under the window, among other things. While we’re paying someone to do all the work, it’s been great fun designing and picking out pieces for our new bathroom (should I send you before and after shots? It’ll be a radical change). Anyway, the purpose behind this long comment is that I squealed when I saw the Avalon Organics bath products. My mum introduced that brand to me. No-one else has heard ot it. I especially love the lavender shampoo and conditioner. Phew, I’ve calmed down now. I love how the bathroom is coming along. I might use the frosting technique on our new bathroom window (can you tell I’m excited about the new bathroom? Only one month to go until demo time).

Just wondering…why do you keep your shower curtain open…rather than pulled shut. Then you see the full view of the curtain rather than inside the tub??

Just wondering as I always, always close mine. Don’t want people looking’ inside. And my shower is meticulously tidy.

Things are shaping up. Now you need storage squeeze bottles to get rid of all those shower bottles. Have them all the same and nicely labeled. Just sayin’. As Oprah says…no one likes to see all your bathroom stuff. Neutralize it with clear squeeze bottles.

The only problem with leaving it open like that is while the shower dries out your shower liner is not since it folds as it is pushed open, making it easier to get mildew/mold on the liners if the curtain is kept open all day. I keep mine open only while I’m getting ready in the morning and then close it an hour later so that the liner can dry out.

I inherited glass front cabinets all over my kitchen. I used frosted grid film to still have the look of glass but hide some of my less exciting cabinet contents. It also made the glass fronts look more contemporary. I’ve gotten comments from my condo neighbors who have the same glass fronts that they like the look.

You’ve probably already answered this (and I even did a quick blog search) but what kind of organic shampoo is that you have? I recognize the Say Yes to Cucs one (I LOVE the Carrot one of this brand) but not the other bottles.

First of all, I love following your blog and seeing what you’re up to. I check every morning at work…don’t tell ;)! I actually work at a window and door company, and just wanted to let you know that the bars in your window aren’t called mullions. A mullion is the large bar in between two full windows put together – it’s for structural support. The bars you have are usually called “grilles,” “divided lives,” or in your case, “Grilles-in-the-Airspace.” Figured it couldn’t hurt to let you know :) Thanks for all the inspiration and instructions and hilarity you provide :)

It looks great and I knew when I saw the first pic of that room that frosting would be the right solution for the window. I can’t wait to see the rest of it come along and glad that you can comfortably do your “man business” in privicy. (<– The English pronunciation)